The present invention relates to gyroscopes for use in attitude control systems, navigation systems, and others, and, in particular, to gyroscopes using piezoelectric vibrators or transducers.
The piezoelectric material is used in an electromechanical transducer. Such a transducer is called a piezoelectric transducer. The piezoelectric transducer can convert an electric energy into a mechanical energy or vibration and can convert the mechanical energy or vibration into an electrical energy or signal.
The piezoelectric transducer is used in a gyroscope.
The gyroscope using the piezoelectric transducer utilizes the Coriolis' force. In detail, the piezoelectric transducer drives a vibrating body. When the vibrating body is rotated at a rotational speed under the condition that the vibrating body vibrates in a direction, the Coriolis' force is generated in a direction perpendicular to the vibration. Thus, the vibrating body is further vibrated in the perpendicular direction due to the Coriolis' force. The vibration due to the Coriolis' force is converted by the piezoelectric transducer into an electric signal representative of the rotation speed.
In known piezoelectric gyroscopes, one or more piezoelectric transducers are fixedly mounted by use of adhesive onto a metallic vibrating body as described in detail hereinafter with reference to the drawing.
Accordingly, the known gyroscope is difficult to be produced with a constant accuracy because of use of the adhesive.